


A Nice, Normal Daytrip

by spinninginfinity



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-06
Updated: 2013-02-06
Packaged: 2017-11-28 11:20:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,099
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/673812
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spinninginfinity/pseuds/spinninginfinity
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Doctor and Rose attempt to go to Disneyland.</p>
<p>
  <i>‘It’s something nice and normal,’ she warned. ‘Just a nice, normal daytrip without any funny stuff. I don’t want to tempt fate, but I’m talking almost no risk of being eaten.’</i>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Nice, Normal Daytrip

**Author's Note:**

> For [Lauren](http://soufflegirl.tumblr.com), for her birthday.

Rose’s footsteps, the Doctor thought, suggested that she was walking with purpose.

He shuffled a bit further under the console. This would be about the toaster in the kitchen, her human toaster that did nothing besides make toast, which she’d insisted on bringing on board because the one the TARDIS provided was “too complicated”. (He didn’t know what that meant. It was a simple matter of keying in the randomly generated twenty-digit code and remembering to disable the flambé setting.) Anyway, Rose’s toaster had been sitting there being boring and silently begging to be improved, and if the result of those improvements was that it was now in several charred pieces in the bin, well, he’d tried.

‘Doctor.’

The Doctor had centuries of practice at hiding. He lay still and quiet as Rose rounded the console and squatted down to peer in at him.

‘What are you doing?’ she asked.

He squeaked. ‘How did you know I was here?’

‘You’re always here.’

‘Oh.’ That jig was up, then. He wriggled out reluctantly until he could see her face. ‘You need variety, Rose. Oh, you think you’re just dandy with your seeded batch lightly browned on both sides, but there’s a whole universe of unexplored toasting options, and I feel I need to point that out before you come down too hard on me about—’

‘I have a request for a trip,’ Rose cut in.

He eyed her suspiciously. That didn’t seem the way to begin a conversation about a broken toaster, but he couldn’t be sure. ‘What kind of request?’

‘It’s something nice and normal,’ she warned. ‘Just a nice, normal daytrip without any funny stuff. I don’t want to tempt fate, but I’m talking almost no risk of being eaten.’

If this was the toaster conversation, the Doctor thought, it was going remarkably well. ‘I could go for not being eaten.’ He clambered to his feet. ‘Does it have a name, this place you want to go?’

‘Disneyland.’

He peered at her. ‘Pardon?’

‘Disneyland. You know, Minnie Mouse, princess castles, getting to be a big kid again?’

‘Why would you want that?’ he asked, scratching at the back of his head.

She frowned. ‘Says the man who got kicked out of the largest sweet shop in the Milky Way for hyperactivity.’

‘They shouldn’t have given me all those free samples,’ he said sulkily.

‘Anyway, I want to go because I never went when I was an actual kid.’

‘And a _lifetime_ ban. That’s moot, of course, but talk about overreacting.’ He shook his head at her and then went back over what she’d just said. ‘Never went where?’

‘Disneyland.’

‘You’re still hung up on that?’

‘If we can’t go, you only have to say,’ she said, glaring at him, ‘but how often do I suggest places to go? And how hard would one quick stop at Disneyland be, really?’

‘Not very,’ he admitted. ‘But if it’s castles you want, I could take you to a real one, with a moat and a drawbridge and a dungeon and everything.’

‘Hmm, getting tossed in a dungeon or a fun-filled day at Disneyland. Tough one.’ Before he could retort, Rose reached out to touch his arm. ‘Come on,’ she wheedled. ‘You’ll love it, I swear. And I need someone brave to come on the big rides with me.’

That was, he knew, blatant rubbish, but she was smiling that smile and her fingers were resting against his shirt and come to think of it, Disneyland sounded a wonderful idea.

He beamed. ‘Nice, normal daytrip it is, then!’

‘And after that we’ll talk about my toaster.’

‘Let’s get through this first,’ he said hastily.

***

‘I can’t believe you got us banned from Disneyland,’ Rose said, stalking ahead of him into the TARDIS.

‘Now, hang on a second.’ He closed the door behind him. ‘All in all, that was a very good day. You got to ride Big Thunder Mountain, I got rid of a dangerous alien threat—’

‘Who the hell goes looking for alien threats on “It’s a Small World”?’

‘Who the hell _doesn’t_?’ He caught a faint smile at that and sidled closer to her. ‘Besides, we were only chucked out because there’s a very strict policy when it comes to climbing on the rides. I thought they might make an exception if the climbing was heroic, which I think we can agree this was, but it turned out the policy is absolute, even in the case of alien invasions.’ 

‘What?’ She gripped the rail around the console as he prepared to take them into the Vortex. ‘You’re saying they have a policy about alien invasions?’

‘Oh, yes. No choice, really, given Walt.’ The Doctor raised his voice over the “vworp”ing of the TARDIS. ‘Never know when his long-lost fourth cousin twice removed might show up and try to lay claim to everything.’

‘Walt Disney was an alien?’

‘My point is, “You’re banned but also thank you for saving our lives; have all this free food” is a much better result than the usual being chased away with pitchforks, don’t you think?’

‘No—Walt Disney was an _alien_?’

‘Rose,’ he said, smiling. ‘Free food.’ With the TARDIS steady again, he dug into his pockets. ‘Including these lollies, which, given my little display in the largest sweet shop in the Milky Way last week, maybe you should have. Or some of them, anyway.’ He waved one at her, a peace offering. ‘I’m sorry for ruining your day.’

She took the lollypop. ‘I’m not cross, not really. Can’t just leave an alien hoard nesting behind Switzerland. And I did get to see Sleeping Beauty’s castle.’

‘Plus you know there are more princess castles at Disney World in Florida and California and Tokyo. Two, actually, at Disney Planet, though that comes a bit later once you lot start populating space.’ He chuckled to himself. ‘Disney Planet. Humans are brilliant.’

Rose waved a hand, evidently not interested in having a conversation about the brilliance of her species right now. ‘And you’ll take me there without kicking up a fuss?’

‘It was hardly a _fuss_ , Rose; I was just—’ He broke off at her look. ‘Yes. You say the word and we’ll go to Disney World or Disney Planet or any other Disney-based place you want. And if I find any alien threats I’ll be subtle.’

‘Subtlety’s not your strong suit, Doctor, but thanks.’ She grinned and took a lick of the lollypop. ‘Walt Disney was an alien?’

‘Yes,’ the Doctor said mildly. His hands hovered over the controls. ‘Want to go and meet him?’

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Feedback welcomed and appreciated.


End file.
